Access Platinum

GuideStar Platinum encourages nonprofit organizations to share their progress and results in important new ways moving way beyond simplistic financial ratios to reflect the changes organizations are making in the world. Click here to view theCommon Results Catalog and become familiar with the way your organization's progress and results will be presented on your GuideStar Nonprofit Profile.

Step 1: Review Metrics

Review our library of potential metrics by clicking View a PDF and choose metrics that your organization uses to track your progress towards forwarding your mission. If you are unsure which metrics to use, please review public-facing materials, such as your website. You can choose up to 20 metrics, however 3-5 metrics is a good start.

Step 2: Selecting Metrics

Select your metrics. If you are unable to find a metric that fits your organization in our library, then enter your own custom metric. To do so, scroll to the bottom of the page in step 2 and click on "Can't find a metric? Add your own."

Enter your custom metric. Keep your metrics linear by following the format "Number of (adults) who (are provided with safe housing)". Click on the box "I understand that using a custom metric means it will not be comparable to others in the field."

You will be given suggested metrics (just in case you didn't see them before). If you still want your custom metric, click the box at the bottom "Use my custom metric."

Step 3: Report Your Results

Report your results by clicking Add Details.

In order to achieve the Platinum Seal of Transparency, you must provide one year's worth of data, however it is recommended that you provide 3-5 years' worth of data, if available. Click "Add a year" to continue adding data, dating back to the year 2000. Give your data some context by writing in the Context notes section, located to the right of the Year by Year Results section. This is where you can explain good years, bad years, how your results fit with your larger goals, etc.

If your data relates to a specific program or target population, choose the appropriate program or population using the drop-down menus located beneath the Year by Year Results section.

When your metric is complete, you may click "Yes, display" to show your metric on your public profile, "No, do not display" to save your metric, but not display it publicly, or "Display, but note that it is no longer tracked" to display data that isn't current, but is still important to include in your public profile. In order to achieve the Platinum Seal of Transparency, you must click "Yes, display" for at least one metric with at least one year's worth of data.

Save & Publish

Save your work at any time before publishing. It will be stored for you to edit at a later time but will not appear on GuideStar.org.

To publish your changes to GuideStar’s website, you must click Publish Changes Now button located at the bottom of each page. This will take you to the Confirm & Publish page where you will be asked to agree to our Terms of Use.